Dental Assistants are important members of the dental health care team and primarily help to increase the efficiency and productivity of the dental practice by assisting the dentist in delivering patient care. Other employment opportunities and/or responsibilities include dental health education, performing expanded duty dental care on patients, business practice, or working with dental insurance or dental supply companies. Because dentists employ two or three dental assistants, employment opportunities are excellent.

The GFC MSU Dental Assistant program is a one-year (11 month) limited enrollment Certificate of Applied Science program and accepts up to 18 students each year. Applicants are advised to contact Advising or Career Center Advisors or a Program Director for further program information specific to admission requirements.

Interested students must complete an application to the program (separate from the institution application) for program acceptance. These students must have already successfully (C- or better) completed M 065 and WRIT 095 OR their equivalents OR be currently at the competency level for the program-required math and writing courses. Applicants must be in good academic standing for program entry.

Following acceptance to the program, students complete three semesters concluding with a summer semester when the students are enrolled in clinical practice. Students will be required to purchase uniform attire and provide their own transportation (and lodging, if applicable) to and from clinical site assignments.

The Dental Assistant program will:

Maintain an instructional curriculum that meets the accreditation standards of the American Dental Association Council on Dental Education and of the local dental community.

Deliver relevant learning experiences and curriculum sequencing to ensure graduates achieve adequate knowledge and skill to enable them to be employed in the field as entry level Dental Assistants.

Graduates are prepared to:

Sit for the national certification examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board.

Utilize computer technology associated with the profession of dentistry, including but not limited to digital radiography, intraoral cameras, and dental-specific software for the operation of a dental practice.

Integrate concepts in the dental sciences, prevention, and oral health promotion to a variety of treatment situations in the dental setting.

Many students need preliminary math and writing courses before enrolling in the program requirements. These courses may increase the total number of program credits. Students should review their math and writing placement before planning out their full program schedules.

The Dental Assistant program sequence is as follows:

(The student, however, may complete any or all of the general education coursework (non-DA) prior to entry to the Dental Assistant program, i.e.: M 090 or higher, and/or COMX 115 or PSYX 100)

A grade of C- or above must be achieved in all courses to advance in the program and to graduate.

All required Dental Assistant program coursework must be successfully (C- or better) completed prior to enrollment in DENT 195, with the exception of Intro to Interpersonal Communication or General Psychology, which may be taken during the summer term.

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